Working With Industry

IMRE's expertise in materials research and engineering serves to address the diverse needs of industry ranging from consultancy and testing services to joint research and development programmes. IMRE also extends assistance to companies that require trained technical staff and advisors.

Reaching Out - From Lab to Industry

IMRE has an extensive portfolio of material technologies for anchoring the R&D needs of industries in Singapore. The industry sectors that IMRE collaborates with include:

Aerospace & AutomotiveR&D in materials such as composites, blade materials, and their processes for manufacturing and restorations. IMRE is also developing novel light-weight and high-strength metal alloys and metal composites (e.g., metal matrix composites), in addition to our current research activities related to nanocomposites, surface coatings, etc. for extreme conditions.

► EnergyIMRE’s support for this industry includes material technologies such as composite materials for maintenance free wind energy applications, innovative electrolyte materials for high capacity energy storage, unique materials for deep water marine and offshore engineering and innovative materials derivations in biomass R&D. Energy R&D will also cover pyrogenic materials including metal oxide nano-particles/-wires/-rods and porous metal oxide supports for energy harvesting and storage.

► ElectronicsR&D for this industry includes epitaxial growth of compound semiconductors, and development of organic semiconductors for various electronic, optoelectronic, and photovoltaic devices. Development of functional dielectric, piezoelectric and ferroic ceramics have also been established, including synthesis of bulk ceramics,
depositions for ceramic thin films, and processing of thick film and multilayer ceramics for application in sensors/ actuators, high frequency filters, and memory devices.

► MedTechIMRE’s work on biomaterial and medtech devices include functional surfaces through nano-patterning and micro-fluidic design and fabrication technology.

► Pharmaceutical & FoodIMRE’s material technologies for pharmaceutical and food applications include asymmetric catalysis capabilities and the development of packaging materials that enhance the preservation of food freshness and intelligent sensing.

► Green and Sustainable MaterialsIMRE’s green and sustainable materials are developed based on new environmentally responsive, ecofriendly technologies. These include phase change materials, electrochromic and smart coating materials for green buildings as well as bio-renewable materials for bio-based plastics and personal care products.

Consultancy and Testing Services

We are equipped with state-of-art facilities allowing our experienced technical staff to comprehensively characterise the physical and chemical properties of materials and to provide advice on your materials engineering and processing issues. For a complete list of our R&D equipment and facilities, please refer to Facilities & Equipment. To find out more about our nanofabrication capabilities, please visit the SERC NanoFabrication and Characterisation (SNFC) Facility.

Nanoimprinting Foundry

The foundry is a co-development between the Science and Engineering Research council (SERC), Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) and also Exploit Technologies Pte Ltd (ETPL) with the participation of sister research institutes such as Institute of Microelectronics (IME) and Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC) to enable the evolution of nanoimprint technology from the laboratory to the manufacturing floor. The nanoimprint foundry will address end-to-end design with increasing complexity towards real-life applications and the foundry is equipped with infrastructure to demonstrate large area and high through-put imprinting.

A*STAR's new Industrial Coating and Packaging (ICAP) Consortium, works with companies to develop new materials that keeps food and medicines fresher for longer and creates varnishes that keep furniture looking new.

ICAP was set up in response to the needs of packaging and coating manufacturers who were seeing an increasing demand for high-performance, customised packaging materials for industries related to the production of criticial components and equipment, consumer care, automotive and aerospace technologies.Download Full Press Release

Assistance Programme to Upgrade Local Enterprises

Through A*STAR's (The Agency for Science, Technology and Research) GET-Up (Growing Enterprises with Technology Upgrade)Programme, we are able to second our scientists and engineers to work in your company or make our senior staff available as technical advisors at a minimal cost to your company.There are numerous opportunities for your company to capitalise on our resources. Many companies are already successfully partnering with us in their efforts to advance their research and development programmes or enhance their existing technology. For a list of our partners, please go to List of Collaborators.

Research and Development Collaborations

Our multi-disciplinary team of physicists, chemists, materials scientists and engineers can work with you to scope and then undertake, a collaborative programme that aligns with your technology roadmap. We can also assist you in seeking financial support for your project from the relevant government agencies.